News Brief

8/6/2012, Av 18, 5772

Barak: Don't Expect Hareidi Induction Tomorrow

Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Monday, not to expect an immediate increase in induction from the hareidi-religious community in the wake of last week's expiration of the Tal Law, which regulated draft deferrals for yeshiva students. Barak reminded the committee that he had given the Israel Defense Forces 30 days to present him with a practical plan for implementing the 1986 Security Service Law as it relates to hareidim until a replacement for the Tal Law can be enacted.

Barak said, "The objective upon which this arrangement should act are a significant increase in hareidi enlistment with expansion of opportunities and tracks, expansion of induction into combat units like "Netzach Yehuda", enlistment in a technological track and expansion of opportunities to enlist in the police and prisons service. In addition, the possibilty of enlisting in emergency [services]." He also called for stepped up enforcement of laws against draft evasion.